Ignored Obscured Restored
Rock vocalist Robert Plant is best known for fronting Led Zeppelin, whose eight studio albums between 1969 and 1979 redefined rock music — excluding the hastily thrown-together compilation Coda (1982). But after drummer John “Bonzo” Bonham’s death in 1980, the band made the painful decision to disband. Their press release explained:
“We wish it to be known that the loss of our dear friend, and the deep sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were.”
Since then, countless offers for a Zeppelin reunion have surfaced. Yet of the three surviving members, Plant has been by far the most reluctant. The band has reunited only three times: at Live Aid in July 1985, the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary Concert in May 1988, and the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert in December 2007 — an event honoring the Atlantic Records founder who signed them in 1969.
Instead of looking backward, Plant has consistently chosen new creative ventures. He’s fronted projects like The Honeydrippers, The Strange Sensation, The Sensational Space Shifters, Band of Joy (with Buddy Miller and his former partner Patty Griffin), and Saving Grace (featuring Suzi Dian). He’s also sustained a rich solo career and recorded two celebrated duet albums with Alison Krauss. Yet this restless spirit doesn’t mean Plant has turned his back on Zeppelin — he remains proud of their legacy, including overlooked deep cuts.
In an interview with MOJO magazine, Plant pointed to one such track:
“But you know, most people have missed some of the best Zeppelin stuff. “For Your Life”, on Presence, “Achilles Last Stand”! Fucking hell. Just extraordinary that three people and a singer can do that. Really, they were pulling so much stuff out of the unknown. Bonham and Jones on “For Your Life”. It’s just insane. And Jimmy, just…”
So, for today’s Song of the Week, let’s revisit “For Your Life”.
Written by Plant, the lyrics depict the corrosive effect of cocaine on the crumbling L.A. music scene of the 1970s. The music itself was largely ad-libbed in the studio — yet the result is one of Zeppelin’s most powerful, underappreciated performances. I’m grateful to Plant for pointing me back to this terrific track.
And don’t stop there. Keep pace with Plant by exploring the many albums he’s released since 1980 across all those diverse projects. His journey since Zeppelin has been every bit as adventurous as his time within it.
Enjoy… until next week.